PaulB

There were a couple good articles about NTN and some early testing on Telemarktips.com, but I can't seem to find them. There was also an article in Couloir or Telemark Skier about it last year. The design concept is that the attachment point will be under the ball of the foot, which gets rid of "tip-toe" feeling that many people struggle with. The general discussion was that it'll probably be a couple more years before its ready, and it'll take even longer for it to significantly penetrate the market. The duckbill will be around for awhile.

The O2 was conceived as the second generation Targa by one of the designers after he left G3. As such, I would expect them to be similar but I've never skied O2's, just T/9's, Riva 2's and Riva Z's. Check out Telemarktips.com and do a search. The binding debates are endless!

Or stay later.....one of the most memorable ice climbing experiences I've had was climbing the first pitch of ICBC by headlamp. We split it into two pitches so we could both take a turn leading in the dark.

No one said you can't toprope, they're just saying to think about how setting up a TR may affect the ice, other climbers and yourself. Especially in popular areas like Marble Canyon. My advice to new ice climbers.... find a partner who leads, and follow them up everything you can. Your technique will improve much faster than it will from endless toproping.

Shouldn't you be promoting CRAGman, or is he not approved for sale by the Kascade Trad Klan??? (I finally got around to reading my CAJ)

I second the minidisc! They're light and run forever on one battery. With compression you can get a lot more than 3 hours onto one disc.

I called the park this afternoon, and they said that the Glacier Creek Road is open, with a rough spot around mile 4 that is passable with careful driving.

So I'm thinking I should get a helmet for this winter. What features should I look for and/or avoid? How warm are they? What makes a $200 helmet better than an $80 helmet if they both meet the same safety standards?

Does anyone know if there has been flood damage on the road up to the Heliotrope Ridge trailhead?

Garmin says their WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) capable units are accurate to within 3 meters, and those without WAAS are accurate to within 15 meters. All external factors being equal, I doubt there would be much difference in accuracy between the different manufacturers.

If you want something new, look at the Garmin Geko 101 or 201. Small, simple and waterproof. If you don't mind some older and bulkier technology, look around for a used Garmin GPS12.

Saw this on the MEC gearswap: like new 404's for $CDN150. The guy has 20 or so pair for sale.

Does anyone know what condition the couloirs on the NE face are in these days?

No thanks, I plan to use it someday.... really, I will!

- Petzl fixed side pulley - Black Diamond Yosemite hammer - Arc'teryx chest harness

This should interest the bouldering crowd: As posted by Zoran Vasic on Bivouac.com: "I would like to inform you about a unique premiere film show the Vancouver Intl Mountain Film Festival is co-producing with the BigUpProductions: "Pilgrimage" featuring the rock climbers Chris Sharma, Katie Brown and Nate Gold on their trip to Hampi, India. All climbers will be present for q&a and autographs. Pilgrimage When: Wednesday, October 1, 7pm Where: Centennial Theatre, 2300 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver Tickets: $12 in advance, $14 at the door. Advanced tix at MEC, The Edge Climbing Centre and at both Cliffhanger gyms. Call (604) 984-4484 for info and tix. Join Chris Sharma on a bouldering pilgrimage to the sacred village of Hampi, in the south of India. Along with friends Katie Brown and Nate Gold, Sharma has come to explore the infinite possibilities of this place, where ancient Hindu temples nestle among thousands of unclimbed granite boulders. Sharma's legendary strength and natural approach to what he calls "the practice of climbing" yield spectacularly difficult and beautiful new boulder problems. In Hampi, where Saddhu holy-men spend years meditating in caves beneath the boulders, Chris pursues his own unbelievable form of meditation on the very same rocks. Katie Brown was one of the world's most famous and accomplished rockclimbers until she burnt out and quit climbing at the age of 19. Two years later, free from superstar expectations, she's begun to find joy in climbing once again. Like the Hindu pilgrims who flock to Hampi's temples, Brown has come to rediscover something sacred. Seen through the eyes of Sharma, Pilgrimage is a breakthrough climbing movie that combines world-class action with a rare and inspiring view into the mind of the greatest climber of our time. "

I would have thought that bulky liners would make for a tighter fit, not more loose... The fit was pretty tight around my foot, but the overlap closure of the liners was too big for the ankle of the shell to wrap around and provide good support. Some people might not mind this, but I didn't like it. In the end, I returned the Alphas and put the liners in my ski boots.

I tried Intuiton Liners in Alphas and found that the liner was too bulky for the shell. Made the ankles much more loose than I liked.

Spent last week in the Bugs. No epics, no drama, just good weather and good climbing. Amazingly, we had the entire NE ridge of Bugaboo to ourselves on Wednesday. The only downside was the constant haze of smoke obscuring the views.

I have two bent shaft Prophets and a straight shaft as a third tool. I also use the straight shaft as a complement to my mountaineering axe on alpine routes, but I wouldn't hesitate to use one of the bents. For anything except steep WI, I use the BD Alaska picks. No complaints about the Prophets...they're tough and have a great feel to them. Should be able to find used ones for cheap.

Some classic "must do" routes: - Hawk 5.4 - Gelsa 5.4 - Horseman 5.5 - High Exposure 5.6 - Shockley's Ceiling 5.7 - Ken's Crack 5.7 - Laurel 5.7 The list is endless, and on weekends so are the line ups. It is possible to walk off all routes from the top of the cliff, and some are equipped for rappelling, but climbers coming up from below usually make walking off the better option. One more thing... watch out for copperhead snakes on sunny ledges. I once manteled up to find myself within striking distance of a couple.

That's a pretty good description of the Gunks...when in doubt, and things seem hopeless, just reach a little further and a nice jug will present itself. The best part about the Gunks is that the main cliffs are up above a valley, so once you get just one pitch off the ground, the exposure makes it feel like you are miles up. This makes even easy 5.4 climbs seem a lot more exciting. Compared to B.O.T.L, the rock at the Gunks is less textured. Not a lot of friction climbs to be found.

I bought a pair of Ferratas a month or so ago. I've used them on the approach to the Widowmaker Arete and on the North Ridge of Nesakwatch Spire, with no complaints. Comfortable when hiking, and felt good when climbing. Haven't tried them with crampons yet, but taking them to the Bugs in a few weeks. So far, I give them a .

One of the guys did notice some shale with a leaf imprint in it. We also found a rad pair of retro looking goggles that some extreme skiier dude must have lost.

Climbed the NW Couloir on Fissile yesterday. Snow conditions were excellent, despite having been rained on during the night. No rubble in the couloir yet, but at the point where it narrows (about half way up) it looks like it may soon be melted out. The summit ridge was snow free for the most part, but is a loose and dirty scramble. Descending down the west ridge was an exercise in scree surfing. Other than the fact that we didn't get any views from the summit due to low hanging clouds, it was a great climb. A couple of logistical notes for this area: - Riding up the Whistler Gondola and hiking across the Musical Bumps is more enjoyable than hiking up the Singing Pass trail. - Hiking down the Singing Pass trail is faster than going back across the Musical Bumps to the Gondola.